Glover Quin

In response to the serious shoulder injury stud left tackle Taylor Decker suffered during the spring, the Lions went out and acquired a pair of fill-in options in Greg Robinson and Cyrus Kouandjio. Robinson (second overall) and Kouandjio (44th) were high picks in the 2014 draft, but the former washed out with the Rams and the latter failed to stick in Buffalo. Unfortunately for the Lions, the two aren’t off to good starts in training camp, according to both Kyle Meinke of MLive.com and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Robinson and Kouandjio have each dealt with injuries, but when they have taken the field, things haven’t gone well. Second-year defensive end Anthony Zettel, a sixth-rounder in 2016 who had one sack as a rookie, made “mincemeat” of the two tackles during practice Wednesday, per Meinke. Zettel has indeed held his own against the duo, confirms Rothstein, who currently tabs Kouandjio as the likely starter on the blindside. Either way, it appears the Lions are in for significantly worse play this year from the left tackle position, which isn’t exactly positive news for a team that could soon commit huge money to its quarterback.

Rookie cornerback Teez Tabor has also begun 2017 in less-than-stellar fashion, relays Meinke, who suggests that the second-round pick from Florida could struggle to see the field much this year at the rate he’s going. Most or all of Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, Quandre Diggs and D.J. Hayden are in line to receive more playing time than Tabor, whom unproven receiver Jared Abbrederis “abused” on Friday, notes Meinke. Tabor also hasn’t shown much speed, which is especially troubling for a player whose draft stock fell as a result of subpar showings in the 40-yard dash.

Rothstein has the details on safety Glover Quin‘s two-year, $13MM extension. Initially, he was slated to earn a base salary of $4MM with a cap hit of $7.8MM in 2017. Now, his base salary is down to just $900K (fully guaranteed) with a cap hit of $6.4MM. In 2018, Quin will make $3.85MM in base salary, with $3.6MM of it guaranteed for injury only. On the third day in March, however, it becomes fully guaranteed. In 2019, the final year of his deal, Quin has no money guaranteed. Although the 31-year-old got some additional dollars and years in the extension, the Lions will still have the ability to get out of the deal before the 2018 season if his performance dips.

The Lions have signed safety Glover Quin to a two-year extension that will keep him in Detroit through the 2019 season, the club announced today. The new deal is worth $13MM and contains $9.5MM in guarantees, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Quin, 31, indicated a desire for a new contract in May, and the Lions reportedly began discussing an extension with Quin’s representatives the following month. Set to enter the final season of a five-year, $23.5MM pact he signed prior to the 2013 campaign, Quin had been scheduled to earn a $4MM base salary and a $1MM roster bonus while carrying a cap charge of ~$7.828MM. Quin’s annual salary of $4.7MM ranked just 27th among NFL safeties.

“I would love to be here in Detroit, and if I sign an extension, I’d probably finish my career here — that’d be huge for me,” Quin said in May. “But I can’t control that. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen. My job is like I’ve always said since I got in the league, is I’m a player. So I just play, and I’ll let the coaches coach, the managers manage, and the trainers train.”

Quin has been a remarkably durable player throughout his eight-year NFL career, as his only missed game came during his rookie season in 2009. Last season, Quin played all 1,027 of the Lions’ defensive snaps while posting 68 tackles, two interceptions, and ranked an impressive 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.

Although “internal optimism” exists regarding the Lions’ extension talks with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the veteran signal-caller says there’s “no timetable” guiding the negotiations, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Although Stafford admitted that his agent Tom Condon is currently discussing a deal with Detroit, he told reporters he wasn’t sure if he’d allow negotiations to continue once the regular season gets underway, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Last month, Lions president Rod Wood implied he’d be “comfortable” making Stafford the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, which would mean agreeing to an annual salary north of $25MM.

Here’s more from the Motor City:

Extension discussions are also underway between the Lions and safety Glover Quin, and Quin is confident an agreement will ultimately be hammered out, tweets Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Quin, 31, is entering the final season of a five-year, $23.5MM pact he signed prior to the 2013 campaign. Next season, he’s scheduled to a $4MM base salary and a $1MM roster bonus while carrying a cap charge of ~$7.828MM. Quin’s annual salary of $4.7MM ranks just 27th among NFL safeties.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is also entering the final year of his contract, but he’s not worried about serving out the season as a lame-duck head coach, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I don’t even worry about it and I think I’ve tried to explain pretty well to you guys that there hasn’t been a time in my life where you operate under certain things,” Caldwell said. “You never know if you have a 15-year contract, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to be fired tomorrow. So you always got to perform.” Through four seasons as Detroit’s head coach, Caldwell has posted a 27-21 regular season record and lead the club to two NFC Wild Card appearances.

Injured left tackle Taylor Decker is no longer wearing a sling and is “on track” in his rehab from a torn labrum, as Twentyman reports in a full article. Decker was projected to miss four-to-six months when he was originally injured in early June, meaning he could certainly be sidelined for the early portion of the 2017 season. In response, the Lions acquired former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson from the Lions and signed ex-Bills offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio.

Steelers defensive tackle Dan McCullers has only compiled 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks since being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. As Chris Adamski of TribLive.com writes, the 24-year-old isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, and his coaches seemingly echoed that sentiment. “Dan McCullers, he’s got to grow up,” said defensive line coach JohnMitchell. “It’s time to make a move right now. This is going to be his fourth year. And usually in this league, after about four years, you have got to make a move. Or, either, you move somewhere else.” An injury to starter Javon Hargrave opened up first-team reps, but McCullers was reportedly passed in favor of L.T. Walton.

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes there are several Ravens players who have to prove themselves this season if they want to stick around the NFL. The writer specifically points to a pair of fourth-year players, wideout Michael Campanaroand tight endCrockett Gillmore. Preston doesn’t believe the players need to become “superstars,” but they need to at least prove that they can contribute in some capacity.

Ben Swanson of DenverBroncos.com caught up with Vance Joseph to learn more about the new Broncos‘ head coach, including his hobbies and favorite foods. Notably, when asked which of his former players would make the best NFL head coach, Joseph pointed to Lions (and former Texans) safety Glover Quin.

The Lions and Glover Quin are in talks about a new contract, the free safety tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Quin first approached the Lions about a new deal last month and it appears that some progress has been made on that front.

Quin is entering the final season of a five-year, $23.5MM contract he signed as a free agent in 2013. The 31-year-old says that he wants to finish his career in Detroit.

“I’ve played going on five years here, good majority of my career,” Quin said. “Some of my better years. My growth. So to kind of get to finish up here, obviously it’s not where I started but it was a team that accepted me, brought me in, allowed me to play the way I knew that I could always play, so to get an opportunity to finish here would be excellent.”

The Pro Bowler believes that he still has “three or four more high-level years” in him, adding that his increased football IQ has him feeling like he is right in his prime. Not everyone can play at a high level in their 30s, but Quin has managed to stay remarkably healthy throughout his career. He currently has the longest starting streak among NFL safeties at 116 consecutive games, the seventh longest streak overall.

Quin recorded 68 tackles and two interceptions last year. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus placed him 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.

The 2017 campaign will be free safety Glover Quin‘s fifth season in Detroit. As a potential contract-year player, it could also be his last season in the Motor City, but Quin hopes that isn’t the case. The 31-year-old has approached the Lions about an extension, writes Kyle Menke of MLive.com.

“I would love to be here in Detroit, and if I sign an extension, I’d probably finish my career here — that’d be huge for me,” Quin said Thursday. “But I can’t control that. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen. My job is like I’ve always said since I got in the league, is I’m a player. So I just play, and I’ll let the coaches coach, the managers manage, and the trainers train.”

While it’s unclear whether the Lions are interested in re-upping Quin, it’s obvious the team has gotten strong production from the former Texan since signing him to a five-year, $23.5MM contract in 2013. In Detroit, Quinn has continued an iron-man streak that dates back to 2010, having missed zero games since then (and he only sat out one in 2009, his rookie year). Quin has also started in each of his appearances going back to Year 2 of his career, and in 64 regular-season games with the Lions, he has piled up 16 interceptions. A career-high seven of those picks came in 2014, Quin’s lone Pro Bowl/All-Pro season, but his quality play has continued even without the accolades. Quin posted 68 tackles and two INTs last year, when he astoundingly played all 1,027 of the Lions’ defensive snaps and ranked an impressive 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.

Given that he’ll turn 32 next January, Quin’s next deal is unlikely to match his soon-to-expire contract in either length or total value. But the average value of an extension (or a free agent pact next year) could be similar to the $4.7MM mean on his current accord, evidenced by contracts given out during the past two offseasons to over-30 safeties such as the Raiders’ Reggie Nelson (two years, $8.5MM), the Cardinals’ Antoine Bethea (three years, $12.75MM) and the Bears’ Quintin Demps (three years, $13.5MM). All of those players had to leave their previous organizations to land those deals, which Quin is prepared to do if the Lions are uninterested in re-signing him.

“If they feel like I deserve that and have earned that, then they’ll make it happen,” he said. “If not, then I’ll play my year in Detroit and say goodbye to you good people.”

After restructuring his contract to provide some flexibility for the Lions last September, safety Glover Quin has tweaked his deal again, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The move will create some additional breathing room for Detroit, allowing the team to work toward signing the rest of its rookie class.

As Yates details, it’s a simple restructure for Quin, which means he’s simply converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus. By reducing his base salary for 2015 from $4MM to the minimum ($745K), and turning that $3.255MM into a signing bonus, Quin will have only a third of that bonus count toward ’15, with the rest being prorated for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

In total, the restructure will create $2.17MM in immediate cap savings for the Lions, while increasing Quin’s cap numbers in 2016 and 2017 by an extra $1.085MM per year. The team may eventually have to adjust the 29-year-old’s contract again, since those ’16 and ’17 cap hits now exceed $7.5MM, but for now, it’s a move that benefits a Lions club that had the least amount of cap room in the NFL heading into today, according to Over the Cap‘s data.

The Browns have cut offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann with a failed physical designation, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). That clears a roster spot for Vinston Painter, whose signing was noted below.

The following players have been removed from their teams’ respective IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (allTwitterlinks): Ryan McKee (Chiefs), Larry Asante (Raiders), Greg Jenkins (Raiders), and Eric Ward (Titans). C.J. Davis (Seahawks) has also been removed from IR with a settlement, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

4:44pm:

The Jets have signed linebacker Jeremiah George and wideout Quincy Enunwa to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York selected the duo in the fifth and sixth rounds of this year’s draft, respectively.

4:13pm:

The Panthers have signed former Jets wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad, cutting linebacker D.J. Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Redskins will also interested in bringing Hill in for a workout, but Carolina offered him a deal.

Tight end Jerome Cunningham has signed with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).

The Chargers filled their practice squad by adding running back Marion Grice, who cleared waivers after being cut yesterday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

The Cowboys have also filled their 10-man squad, adding offensive lineman John Wetzel and defensive back Jemea Thomas, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Presumably, one of the 10 players on the unit will be cut tomorrow if the team intends to bring Michael Sam aboard.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter), the Browns are signing offensive lineman Vinston Painter off the Broncos‘ practice squad, which will open up a spot on the 10-man unit for long snapper Kevin McDermott, whose signing was noted below. Cleveland will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Painter.

The Redskins made a series of changes to their practice squad today, signing offensive lineman Braxston Cave and linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat. Linebacker Chaz Sutton and offensive lineman Tevita Stevens were cut.

Offensive lineman Matt Patchan has been removed from the Buccaneers‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).

1:23pm:

A number of teams have filled their 10-man practice squads by adding a player. The Jaguars signed tight end Marcel Jensen, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter); the Bills signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com; the Bengals signed wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (via Twitter); and the Browns officially announced the signing of fullback Kiero Small, which had been previously reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

A pair of clubs also swapped in one player for another on their practice squads. The Dolphins signed defensive end Gerald Rivers and dropped defensive end D’Aundre Reed, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). And the Vikings signed offensive lineman Austin Wentworth to their squad to replace cornerback Kendall James, the team announced (via Twitter).

The Broncos are also making an addition to their practice squad, in long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). But Denver already had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait to hear about the corresponding move.

The Buccaneers intend to open up a roster spot by placing running back Charles Sims on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Teams can begin to use that IR spot as of 3:00pm central time today.

Cornerback Bobby Felder has been removed from the Bills‘ injured reserve list after reaching a settlement with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550.

As our transactions log shows, it’s been a busy day for roster moves around the NFL, and tomorrow will be even more hectic, as teams cut their rosters down to 53 active players in advance of the 3:00pm CT deadline. As we look forward to what should be a fun Saturday, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from Friday’s transactions wire….

Kicker John Potter (Dolphins) and defensive back Devin Smith (Steelers) have been removed from their team’s respective injured lists with injury settlements, tweetsWilson.

Two Raiders have posted the news of their own waiving via social media: DE Jack Crawford (via Instagram) and TE Jake Murphy (via Twitter) each indicated they had been cut by Oakland.

Earlier Updates:

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitterlinks), the Cowboys waived a pair of players today, parting ways with wide receiver Jamar Newsome and running back D.J. Adams.

Packers tackle Aaron Adams has suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and will be placed on injured reserve, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Adams would have been in contention for a spot at the back end of the 53-man roster had he remained healthy.

The Lions and 49ers both freed up some cap space by restructuring the contracts of safety Glover Quin and defensive lineman Ray McDonald, respectively, per reports by Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com and Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). We don’t have the specific details yet on either move, but they were likely simple restructures, converting a portion of the players’ base salaries into signing bonuses.

The following players were cut off their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to reports from John Oesher of Jaguars.com, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (allTwitterlinks): Defensive end David Carter (Jaguars), linebacker Jamar Chaney (Broncos), and safety DeJon Gomes (Lions).

“The fact we won’t have an extension done with Ndamukong before free agency begins doesn’t affect that plan one bit,”Lions team president Tom Lewand said. “It doesn’t affect our valuation of the free agents, it doesn’t affect what our projection of our cap situation is going forward, and it doesn’t affect how we project eventually working an extension with Ndamukong out at some point in time.”